What She Doesn't Know Won't Hurt Her
by riceyriceyricey
Summary: AU After his brother's death, Alphonse has been afraid of going near anything that will refuel his memory, but when his lover is lured almost into death by the envious demon responsible for his grief, will he rise up? Long. AlMei. Happy ending


"_What She Doesn't Know Won't Hurt Her"_

_How Can You Escape the Past When It Won't Leave You Alone? _

Some days, you just don't want to wake up. Some days, you just want to die. _Some _days…that wish is granted.

No, it wasn't his brother's _death _that disturbed young Alphonse, per se, but it was _how _he died that tore his heart limb from limb.

It wasn't just the blade, either. It was the way it slid itself co carelessly across his throat, the blood gathering form his entire body only to seep from the thin slice in his tanned skin. It was the way his mourning, grief-stricken wife threw herself upon his body, the slender dagger plunging into her heart.

He watched…the entire time.

He was fifteen.

He hadn't gone near a cathedral since.

"Al?" Mei Chang, his roommate asked as he gaped at the silver cross that rested in the hollow of he collarbone, his eyes extensive with terror.

"Mei, I-I…had no idea you were catholic." His voice was a mere wisp of its usual, soft tone. It was raspy, ripped by trepidation.

"I got converted in high school," the oriental girl replied quietly, a slender finger resting in the center of the cross. Her dark eyes widened suddenly. "It doesn't bother you, does it?" she asked in a panic, seizing his broad shoulders in her small hands, "You know I'd never do anything to offend you!"

"Hey, hey, I'm fine," he replied, unconsciously holding one of her black braids in his hand, running his thumb over the folds softly.

She didn't-_couldn't _know about Edward. Al sighed to himself; that was five years ago. The past was the fast. The present was the present. It was simply that, and nothing more. The topic of his brother was not to be discussed, or even thought about. It was over, wasn't it? He couldn't let it badger him any more.

"Are you sure? I…I just wanted to feel a little more urban, y'know?" She'd been raised in Chinatown her entire life.

Actually, that's how they met. Al was up studying all night to get out of college, and called for Chinese takeout.

Maybe fifteen minutes later, she'd showed up with her bike and a small white box full of Kung-Pao chicken. The chopsticks were in her hair.

He didn't really know how their friendship started after that, and yet here she was, lifting a hand to shyly stroke his cheek.

They blushed like schoolchildren, averting her eyes.

Mei's hand remained.

Al wanted it to.

He'd always fantasized about kissing her.

Just one kiss; short and sweet, nothing more, but neither of them had the courage to bring their lips together.

And so they stood there, his arm around her waist and her hand on his face.

They blinked several times, before Mei drew back, turning away and lowering her hand from his face.

"S-sorry," she whispered, her eyes drifting downwards.

Without a single thought in his mind, Alphonse enclosed her small hand in his own larger one, bringing it to his face.

Her question was soft and plain, but it surely got her point across.

"Does this mean…this is mutual?"

He grinned a little, leaning in and brushing her cheek with the back of his hand while pressing her palm into his own.

"I guess so."

Their lips nearly brushed each other; they were so close…he could smell the Jasmine on her skin.

His hands fisted in the silk of her Asian-style pink shirt, feeling as though he was about to get everything he ever wanted.

And he did.

Her open mouth met his, not even bothering to keep their lips shut as a sign of courtesy.

They were polite enough already.

The kiss was gentle-nowhere _near _aggressive-breaths mixing in each other's mouths.

As Al's tongue explored the steamy cavern of Mei's mouth, he tasted something rusty and a tad salty that almost made him choke.

Blood.

He pulled himself from her instantly, feeling his hands warm with the crimson liquid.

The once silver (but now red-tainted) blade poked through her stomach, and her eyes were blank.

Her mouth was barely open but the words dribbled over her bloody lips with ease like a waterfall.

"A-Alphonse…why?"

And then she fell.

"MEI!"

Al jumped up in bed, tears flowing and sweat dusting his skin. He took several deep breaths before burying his face into his hands and sobbing.

This was the worst nightmare he'd had about her yet.

The door flew open and the petite girl bustled through, her stuffed panda Xiao Ming tucked under her arm.

Sure, she was eighteen, but she couldn't sleep without that thing.

"Are you alright?" she asked, her thin eyebrows furrowing in concern.

He shook his head from his hands, whimpering pathetically in reply.

He felt a new weight added into his mattress and a few fingers made their way over his hands to pull them down.

"Alphonse," she whispered, brushing a tear away with her little hand. Mei hiccupped and soon, she was crying too.

"Was it something I did?' she asked through weeps, clinging to him and sobbing into his gray tee-shirt.

He awkwardly rubbed her silk clad back, his own tears having subsided ages ago.

"Mei, you didn't do anything but make me fall in love with you."

She looked up at him with bleary eyes, and it wasn't until she reddened that Al figured out what he said.

"You…This is real, isn't it?" she demanded, pouting. "'Cause if I'm dreaming, so help me"-

"Mei," he cut in, chuckling softly, "Shut up."

"任何東西，愛。" she replied in Chinese, although her roommate heard it as _anything for you, love. _

This time, he really kissed her.

She moaned into his mouth, slumping and leaning all of her weight against him as his tongue rubbed against a ticklish part of her mouth.

The feeling of his tongue against the roof of her mouth drove her crazy, and she laced his fingers into his golden hair whimpering louder into him as their bodies forced down upon each other.  
His hand rested against the curve of her back before pushing her down upon him forcefully.

Her whines thrust him into insanity and a low groan rumbled deep within his chest and ripped through his throat.

Her legs wrapped around his waist, breaking the kiss, breathless, hot, and bothered.

He felt the same.

It was mutual.

Words of love and vows of devotion bounced off the whitewashed walls for what felt like several hours.

Once the ordeal was through, she rested against him, drawing Chinese patterns against his bare chest.

Mei yawned, her eyes fluttering closed.

"I'll never stop loving you, and you'll never have to worry about me leaving you," she mumbled before drifting off.

"I love you more than anything," he replied, kissing her head.

Her un-braided hair sprawled out onto his bare skin, creating the creamy contrast between white and dark chocolate brown.

She was his sun, his moon, and the stars that shined above him. His every thought was her, and each breath was for her. Mei was the sun rising over the New York Skyline, and the sunset above the Eiffel Tower in Paris. There was a second great wall, and it was built around the two of them.

There was nothing in the world to separate Alphonse Elric and Mei Chang.

Nothing of course, but one's fear of losing the other.

When he awoke, she was still laying beside him.

Al stroked her black hair softly, not in hopes of waking her, since she looked the most beautiful in her natural state.

It was the first time he'd seen her hair down and as she'd straddled him and yanked the braids out of her hair between feverish kisses, he was breathless. She'd practically thrown him over the edge right then and there.

But then he wouldn't have been able to finish the task.

Not that being with her was a chore- he smacked himself inwardly for even _implying _that he felt that way.

It was the best feeling he'd ever had; becoming a single person with his world. He couldn't even _begin _to describe the pure ecstasy he got from being with her.

Alphonse leaned over a bit, kissing her forehead.

Mei let out a small moan, furrowing her eyebrows as her eyes fluttered open.

She stared up, smiling and leaning herself against him.

"Last night," she began, but trialed off at a loss for words.

"Was wonderfully and beautifully fantastic?" Al asked hopefully, gazing down at her adoringly.

"I was going for _奇妙和美麗的幻想_, which is _Chinese _for wonderfully and beautifully fantastic, but your works too."

Al smirked at her, fingers lacing in dark brown hair.

"You meant what you said, didn't you?" she asked, melting into his soft, gentle touch.

"What, that you made me fall in love with you?" he asked, "Of _course _I meant it-I mean, I'm not a liar, am I?"

"No, I suppose not," she replied, searching for Xiao Ming and holding the panda to her chest.

There was a pause.

"I…I'm thinking of visiting my brother and his wife today," he said suddenly, sitting up.

Mei rolled over so that she was no longer on top of him.

"Oh," she replied thoughtfully, "Can I come?"

"If you want." Al sighed, combing his fingers through wheat-blonde hair, "I mean, we'll have to get some flowers, daisies of course, since Winry just _loves _daisies, and maybe some milk too."

"Milk?" the Chinese girl asked, tilting her head in confusion at her lover's statement.

"It'll make my brother laugh," He explained, smiling fondly at the memory, "He hates milk."

"Where do they live?"

Alphonse hid the sadness in his eyes a little too well.

"They…They live on Jefferson street."

Mei blinked a few times, trying to picture the geography before answering.

"So they live near the cemetery?"

He almost choked on her adorable innocence.

"No, Mei, my brother and his wife live…They live _in _the cemetery."

Her eyes began to water, and there she was, crying for him again. She had a habit of doing that; it was a bit like Winry. Whenever one of them was hurt or injured during their childhood, she would cry for the brothers, especially Edward. Mei was exactly the same.

He wiped a couple of tears off her round cheeks softly with the back of his hand.

"I'm sorry," she cried, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

…

"This is Mei, guys," Alphonse said to the graves, his hand on the girl's shoulder.

She bent down, tracing the words _Winry Elric _with a single finger before placing the bouquet of daisies on the marble.

"I heard you like them," she said, smiling at a woman who she could not see or touch, but was aware that she was still there.

She then shuffled over to Edward's grave, placing the bottle of milk on the headstone.

"Your brother wanted you to have this," she said softly, a cute smile on her face, "He said it would make you laugh. I…I love your brother very much, and I'll try my best to make him very happy, okay? So don't you worry, Mr. Edward."

Al could practically hear his brother's voice wafting above him.

"_That's a real gem you've got there, Al, don't let her get away." _

Al looked up at the bright sunshine that bathed the cemetery in a golden light.

"I won't, Brother," he said quietly, his voice soft and thoughtful as if he could see the deceased blonde in heaven, laughing and grinning with his wife, and their mother, "I promise."

"You promise what?"

He jumped, coming out of his trance.

Mei was standing in front of him, the light reflecting in her dark eyes brilliantly. Her expression was curious, and Alphonse pulled her into an embrace, crying into her shoulder, his legs slightly bent as he held her.

"I'll never…ever let you go, Mei Chang," he whispered, his words muffled by her lavender dress that flowed nicely at her ankles.

She didn't know what he was saying, but she felt his body shake, and so she rubbed his back slowly, the palm of her hand barely ghosting over his spine.

They said nothing.

It rained that night, the water pounding so heavily upon the couple that they had to seek shelter in the closest place possible.

Unfortunately, that place just so happened to be a church.

Mei grabbed his hand, dragging him through crowds of people on the main road. Neither of them knew how long they ran for, but they just kept sprinting.

She was the one who found the dreaded place of worship. She pulled him towards it, but stopped on the steps, rain blurring her vision when she noticed that her hand was empty.

"Alphonse, don't be foolish and come with me!"  
He was frozen, every muscle and nerve wound so tightly around the next that he might just explode. He said nothing.

Mei crossed her arms.

"Do you want to catch a cold, Alphonse Elric?"

He was still glued in place.

This wasn't just _any _Catholic cathedral.

This was _the _Catholic cathedral. The Catholic cathedral that struck fear into his days and haunted his nights. The Catholic cathedral where he witnessed the murders of his brother and sister in-law.

No, he couldn't go in there.

Sure enough, whatever _demon _came out of the shadows to kill Edward and Winry would surely get him too. Or worse, he gulped…Mei.

No, he wouldn't let that _monstrosity _lay a spidery, distorted finger on the love of his life. He would die and rot in the goddamn _underworld _before he let that happen.

He watched in terror as the door creaked open of its own accord, and a shadowy hand slivered out from the church.

It grasped Mei's chin, holding it as if it were human, the fingers then stroking her cheek.

That was always the creature's first step: luring the innocent victim in.

His mouth fell open in a cry, hoping to catch her attention, but the sound was gone in the hash pounding of the rain.

He tried to move, but his legs were stiff.

_Alphonse, Alphonse, what are you thinking? _ He screamed at himself, as if his body was arguing with his mind while his soul was left in limbo.

But where was his heart?

It was with a young girl by the name of Mei Chang, of course.

That's when his legs began to move.

He thundered up the steps of the chapel, wondering what the fuck he was doing. He had nothing to defend himself with. No sword, no dagger. Nothing but a heart full of love. And when it came to _this _demon, that was going to get him nowhere.

He grabbed the metal door handles, pulling the wooden gates open with all the strength it had.

"Mei!" he shouted, rushing to the side of the fallen girl at the beginning of the aisle. "Please don't die," he begged, his hand on her wrist, hoping to get something in return-A pulse, a beat, anything to show that she was alive.

"It's no use," came the cold, distant voice that he knew all too well from the darkness, "As she grows weaker, _I _grow stronger." The creature made a clicking sound with its tongue, stepping into the faint light from a single candle on the alter.

It stepped out, long locks of dark hair held under a black band that stretched across its forehead.

He looked exactly the same as he did five years ago…when…

"My, my, what do we have here?" it asked, its venomous tone sugary sweet. Only its left half was exposed, and it squinted. "Alphonse Elric? Goodness, how you have changed."

"I see _you _haven't," Al spat, "Monster."

"Ooh, aren't _we _bold today?" the creature mocked, clicking again.

Al rose to his feet, and the monster took a step forward, revealing the rest of his body.

His entire right side black, probably burned.

"You don't even look human anymore," the individual breathed, seething with anger.

"Not _everyone _who mourns the souls I've taken are as weak as _you _were back then, little boy," the demon replied, brushing some ash off its burned arm, only to reveal more blackened skin. "A pretty powerful flame warlock smoldered me to a damn _crisp _when I took his wife. Pretty woman, too, I must admit. Blonde." It spit, black flying form its mouth, "And pretty damn stubborn, too. One of the only ones that ever put up a fight after I devoured them. Second of course," it smirked wickedly, "To your brother."

"Shut up!" Al screamed, fists clenched, "Why do you target couples and families?"

It drew a deep breath through its nose, puffing its chest as it gained power from the bits of the soul that Mei was loosing.

"I'll tell you as a sign of _gratitude_**," **the beast bowed mockingly, "For giving me not _one _soul, but _three_.

"It's a very simple concept, really," it explained, waving its arms nonchalantly, "I see love, I envy it, and I get it."

The envious creature licked its lips hungrily, its face millimeters away from Al's before he could even blink.

"You've got a spirit full of love, don't you?" it demanded, a pointed finger poking the young man's sternum.

"Maybe I do," he answered back.

"Ooh, _clever_, boy," it said in scorn, making eye contact with Alphonse.

The dagger sharp fingertip traced over to Al's heart, tearing his clothes and cutting into his skin, leaving a small trail of blood wherever it sliced.

Envy laid his palm over the boy's heart, feeling the pulse that his own no longer had.

"I was never loved," his palm pressed harder into the boy's chest, burning the skin a bit. "No one wanted me alive; no one wanted my heart to beat. I worked so fucking hard for acceptance, but never got it, and yet here _you _are, having done absolutely nothing to get a _mother_ who loved you, a _brother_ who loved you, a _sister _who loved you, and a _girl_, an enormously _perfect_, and beautiful girl who loved you merely for _breathing_."

Envy's hand sunk further and further into Al's chest with each punctuated word, ready to grab for the heart within.

Alphonse couldn't breathe.

He felt Envy grip his heart, and he struggled, hands grappling for leverage, settling on the monster's arm that was partially shoved into his body.

"_Al_…_phonse_…" The whimper was weak, coming from the floor.  
"Mei," he croaked out, suffering as his heart was clutched and squeezed.

Envy's grin was wicked, and he was about to tear Al's heart out of his body when-

"You're…you're stronger than this," Mei cried, her soul becoming fainter as the demon's hold on the boy's heart.

Her head turned from the aisle, and she locked eyes with Envy.

"You can kill me if you want," she whispered, "But please don't hurt him. I understand how you feel. You feel like no one loves you, when if you would've just been a little nicer to people, they'd adore you instantly." Her smile was watery, and tears trickled down her cheeks, her voice dripping with sympathy. "I feel sorry for you, and if you just let Alphonse go, then I will forgive you." Her eyes fluttered shut and she released her final breath, "I will…I will love you."

Al grunted as Envy yanked his arm from his chest, empty handed.

A sorrowful look was on the demon's face, and for a moment-it could've been Al's imagination-it almost looked…human.

Slowly, the demon that had the heart of a young man faded away, the words "than you" on its lips.

Alphonse gasped for breath, doubling over, tears falling form honey yellow eyes.

He ran to his lover's side, shaking her shoulder.

"Mei? Mei! Mei, please…" he sobbed into her chest, "Please."

"In good time, child."

The voice was a woman's. It was smooth, and low, bringing him comfort.

He looked over to the alter.

"What?"

Her dirty blonde hair was held back in a maroon clip, her rusty brown eyes filled with sadness and relief. She was bathed in a soft, golden light, and her smile was melancholy.

"I said, in good time," she replied softly, "The girl will awake eventually."

In a flash of blue light, she was gone.

"Alphonse," a familiar hand ghosted over his shoulder.

"Winry?"  
There was a giggle, confirming his suspicion.

Another flash.

She was gone.

Finally, a familiar, still glowing figure was crouched in front of him, a gloved hand reaching to the dying girl's face, but unable to touch.

"B-Big Brother?"

"She's a pretty amazing girl, isn't she?" the wheat blonde asked, grinning. "Who knew that such a small person could have a heart big enough to set us _all _free?" He shot his brother a joyful look.

"Thanks, bud."

Edward rose, and began walking towards the alter of the chapel.

He looked over his shoulder.

"Oh, and Al?"

"Yeah?"

"That's a real gem you've got there, Al, don't let her get away."

He looked down as Mei's breaths became steady, fondness in his eyes.

"I won't, brother."

"Is that a promise?" Ed asked quizzically, his foot on the first step.

Alphonse chuckled,

"Yeah, I guess it is."

In a blaze of azure light, he was gone as well.

Her eyes fluttered open, dizzily taking in her surroundings.

She felt the familiar shape of Xiao Ming under her arm, and saw a smiling face above her.

"A-Alphonse?"

"I'm glad you're awake," he said cheerily, handing her a cup of green tea and resting his hand over her forehead as if to check her temperature. "Now drink."

She took a sip of the hot fluid, feeling her strength return as it trickled down her throat and into her stomach.

"That was quite a scare you gave me," said, kissing her cheek and then leaning back.  
"What happened?"

"It was raining after dinner, remember?" he asked, eyebrows knitting.

"I…I think so."

Al let out a sigh of relief, releasing a breath that she didn't know that he was holding.  
"Well at least your memory's _partially _in tact," he said, eyes closed. He opened them again,

"We stayed in the church until the storm passed, but then you started sneezing and fainted in my arms."

Mei nodded. Yes, that seemed to fit right. She remembered the cutch, and the rain, and of course, she wouldn't have remembered the _fainting _part anyways.

Al kissed her forehead, satisfied that her fever had gone down.

"I'm going to let you sleep, okay, love?"

He left the bed and quietly stepped out of the room, quietly shutting the door behind him.

The Elric leaned against the wall, fingers combing through honey blonde locks. A single finger slipped into his collar, pulling the olive green cloth down the reveal the scorch marks on his skin. He sighed, lifting the collar back up.

What Mei didn't know wasn't going to hurt her.

(A/N: Finally! It is done! I'm not fully satisfied with where I left it, but it's still worth breaking my damn back over, since this was about eight pages in word. Look, guys, if Al and Mei were _my _characters, then I would own Fullmetal Alchemist. If I owned Fullmetal Alchemist, Maes Hughes would still be breathing. And sadly, he's still dead. That should tell you something.  
~Ricey)


End file.
